Madden 13 Focusing On More Fun Defense, Says EA

• EA Sports is aiming to create “a better defence that’s more fun to play” in Madden NFL, according to Richard Hilleman, Electronic Arts’ chief creative officer. The game’s design team, which came under new management in the past year, “haven’t accepted any of the conventional wisdom about the product,” Hilleman told Game Informer. GI says the last major change to defensive controls was the Hit Stick in Madden NFL 2005, which featured Ray Lewis on the cover. I think it was the defensive auto-assist button, actually (Madden NFL 10) but you’re not going to sell many games with that as a bullet point. [Game Informer]
• 2K Sports’ Chris Snyder isn’t a mushroom, but take it from me, he’s a fun guy.Hear him explain the MLB Today Season mode in MLB 2K12, which will allow you to change the course of your team’s season while the league’s real events take place around you. After last year, Red Sox fans especially should take advantage of this. [Hollywood Outbreak]

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• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 will introduce “Country Clubs,” which are basically online communities like those seen in Madden NFL 12 this past year. You can get all the details from this video. Country clubs are touted as a way to “create or join an exclusive country club with friends,” and competing in club events will return a greater reward from the game’s virtual currency. Being that this is golf and video games, I’m curious when we’ll have our first all-male membership controversy.